How to Write a Character Description

Reading fiction allows us to enter worlds outside of our own personal experience and deepens
our understanding of humanity. Authors strive to people their imaginary worlds with believable
characters who may be similar or very different from the people we know. When we develop a
curiosity about the characters in a novel or short story we become involved in the story. We want to
know what they will do or say next, and what motivates them to behave in the way that they do.

We come to understand a character through various methods. The author may tell us directly that
a character is for example, lazy, helpful or intelligent. Frequently, however, we must infer what the
character is like from what the character does, says, or thinks and from how other characters react
to him or her. Rather than inform the reader directly that a teenage character is lazy for example,
the author may indicate his laziness by writing that the boy spends his days watching TV, that he
sleeps in late and never does his homework, and that his mother frequently yells at him to help
around the house.

Pre-Write to Organize Your Ideas

Before beginning to write a character description, take the time to engage in a pre-writing
activity to fully explore the character you are studying. Your teacher may provide you with a
graphic organizer to help you do this, or you can use a web to organize your thoughts. Place the
name or your character in the center of your web and draw connecting lines to four circles with the
following categories:

• physical appearance
• actions
• thoughts and speech
• other characters’ reactions

Carefully re-read the story while making notes on your web for each category. The main character
in a story is usually, round, or many-sided and believable, therefore he or she possesses many
qualities, just as real human beings do.

Physical Appearance
When describing the character’s appearance think about what his appearance signifies about
him. If his clothes are dirty, for example, is it a sign that he doesn’t care what he looks like
because he has low self-esteem, or are his clothes dirty simply because he is athletic, was
playing baseball and dove to catch a fly ball.

Actions
Pay close attention to characters’ actions. What characters do is often the best indication
of who they are. More important than what happens to characters in the story is how they
react to what happens. When analyzing a character’s actions ask, “Why did the character
do this?” and “What does this tell me about his personality?” “Do his actions indicate
he is cunning, domineering, or courageous?” Next to each of your notes about what the

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 character has done write a descriptive word about the character’s personality. For example,
if a character continues to play basketball in the final game of the season, despite being
injured earlier, he could be described as tough, determined, stubborn or dedicated.

Thoughts and Speech

Analyze what the character thinks and says in the same way you did for his actions. Make
brief notes about the character’s thoughts and speech. Then consider what they indicate
about his personality and describe it in one or two words.

Other Character’s Reactions

Note what other characters say about the character you are studying, and how they react to
what she says and does. Do the other characters see her in the same way she sees herself,
or differently?

How Does the Character Change?

The main character in a story is usually, dynamic, undergoing an important change in
some aspect of his personality or outlook on life. Ask yourself how the character changes
throughout the story. What does he learn about himself or about life by the story’s end?

Write the Character Description

After finishing the pre-writing activity you should have a good understanding of what the character
is like and have enough information to write a well-developed paragraph. Look for similarities among
the different categories in your web and choose what you believe are the key traits or qualities of
the character you are describing. In the topic sentence of your paragraph mention the key traits that
the character possesses and then describe them in more detail in your paragraph, supporting your
statements with examples from the story. Finally, state how the character has changed or what he
has learned as a result of what he has experienced.

Sample Student Writing

Character Description of Andrew in “What I Want to Be When I Grow Up”

1. Andrew the main character in the story “What I Want to Be When I Grow
Up” notices what other people on the bus do. Andrew likes girls but they don’t
like him, probably because he wears braces and has asthma. Andrew doesn’t like
the receptionist because she makes him wait until the office is closing to let him
see the orthodontist. He was late because he had to stay late at school writing
a test. He gets mad at his mom because she won’t drive him to the orthodontist
and makes him take the bus. I think Andrew is a bit selfish. Andrew gets motion
sickness and when he gets sick on the bus, the fat man Earl helps him. Earl lifts
him off the floor, helps him into a seat and opens the window. Earl rides with
Andrew to his stop and tells him that he knows Andrew notices stuff. At the end
of the story Andrew thinks Earl is lonely and needs friends.
(Minimal Expectation)

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 2.
Andrew, the central character and narrator in Martha Brooks “What I Want to Be
When I Grow Up”, is an observant and imaginative fourteen-year-old boy. Forced
to take the bus once a month to his orthodontist appointments, Andrew is attentive
of other people and describes them with skill and humour. In his eyes the fat man on
the bus, Earl, has a belly which rolls “like a pumpkin over the belt of his green work
pants.” And the beautiful girl in the waiting room is like a cat who sees him as a bug
not worth teasing. Andrew is interested in girls. Looking at their necks drives him
crazy. He does not gain the attention of girls on the bus, however, perhaps because
his teeth stick out, he suffers from asthma and he gets motion sickness. In many
ways Andrew is a typical teenage boy. At one point, frustrated because the middle-
aged receptionist has made him wait to see the orthodontist, he vows not to speak
to anyone over eighteen years old. He is concerned about what other people think
about him and tries to make it clear that it is the fat man and not he who is causing a
commotion on the bus. Andrew can be selfish. He begs his mother to drive him to
the orthodontist so he doesn’t have to take the bus, even though she has sprained and
fractured her ankle. Initially, Andrew believes that the other people on the bus are
“weird”, especially the fat man Earl, who draws attention to himself by making loud
and unwelcome comments to other passengers. After Earl helps him when he is sick,
however, Andrew comes to understand that outward appearances can be deceiving.
Earl shares with Andrew an important quality that sets them apart from most people.
They are both keen observers and take notice of the people around them. Andrew
can no longer dismiss Earl as simply weird. He recognizes that Earl is a desperately
lonely man, who wants companionship and who tries to help others.
(Exceeds Expectations)

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Quick Scale: Grade 8 Writing About Character
Writing is usually required to be carefully revised, edited, and proofread.

Aspect Not Yet Within Meets Expectations Fully Meets Expectations Exceeds Expectations
Expectations (Minimal Level)

SNAPSHOT The writing features The writing is generally The writing is clear and The writing creates an
problems with style, form, clear, with a beginning, carefully developed, with impact, with a sense of
and mechanics that make middle, and end. Develop- some sense of audience vitality, economy, and
it difficult to determine ment may seem uneven. and purpose. Some variety finesse. Features some
the purpose and meaning. The writer has difficulty and engaging features. complex, engaging ideas,
Reflects little knowledge controlling the form and style. May overexplain in language, structures, and
of character and writing Tends to tell about places, telling rather than techniques. Relies on
conventions and techniques. characters rather than “show” showing.” “showing,” not telling.
them. Good comprehension of
character.
• little sense of audience • some sense of audience; • sense of audience; some • strong sense of audi-
MEANING
or purpose (unfocussed) little impact impact ence; engaging
• sense of • may be too short with few • includes basic understanding • clear, focused thesis with • clear if not provocative
audience examples and details of character sound understanding of thesis; strong sense
• understanding • no underlying structure or • easy-to-follow elements of character of direction
of character development (ideas not development with a • clearly and logically • efficiently developed
• types developed) simple understanding of developed around relatively
• characteristics • inadequate material and character demonstrating good mature understanding
understanding of • simple details, examples, understanding of of elements of
• development character character; attempts to
character and its elements or quotes sometimes
• presentation linked to description of • relevant details and interpret
• details, examples, or quotes
• support not clearly linked to character examples support main • well-chosen details,
character description ideas of the essay examples, and
quotations
• little awareness of audience • voice and tone may be • appropriate voice and tone • creates and sustains
STYLE
• simple sentences and inconsistent • varies sentences effective voice and
• voice and tone coordination; limited range • some sentence variety; tone; may use
• varied word choice; some
• syntax • basic vocabulary; may often problems with complex vocabulary
humour or irony
• word choice make errors; repetitive as subordination
• some risk-taking to create
• syntactic maturity
• techniques well as colloquial • some variety in word effects; uses a variety • effective, economical
• immature style choice; not concise of stylistic or rhetorical word choice
• direct, conversational; techniques • takes risks, often
difficulty expressing showing originality
abstract ideas and inventiveness
• beginning unclear • organization adequate but • organization carefully and • structure appears
FORM
• sequencing is often ineffective logically structure natural and
• beginning confusing • connections among ideas • transitions make spontaneous
• structure and • few transitions; may
often unclear connections clear • well-chosen transitions
sequence seem disjointed • transitions awkward; • comptently developed create unity
• transitions paragraphs not paragraphing •effective paragraphing
• paragraphing illogical or
well developed creates continuity
• paragraphing missing • explicit, logical
• ending • weak ending
• conclusions often short or conclusion • ending has some
formulaic “punch”

• frequent noticeable • noticeable errors that • few errors; these do not • few errors; these do not
CONVENTIONS
errors in basic sentence may cause the reader to affect meaning; appears distract the reader (may
• spelling structure, spelling, and pause or reread; often to have been carefully only be noticeable when
• sentence usage that distract the surface errors could be edited and proofread the reader looks for them)
structure and reader and may fixed by careful
punctuation interfere with meaning proofreading
• usage
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